


Combos & Chains

by Liara_90



Category: RWBY
Genre: Arcades, Established Relationship, F/F, Friendship, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Hugs, Kissing, Love, POV Female Character, POV Third Person, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Shopping Malls, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Video & Computer Games, poutine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22599685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liara_90/pseuds/Liara_90
Summary: Future fic. Team RWBY enjoy a day at the mall, and Ruby and Yang duel on an ancient battleground.Tooth-rotting fluff.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	Combos & Chains

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is [Silmerion’s](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silmerion/pseuds/Silmerion) fault, though he doesn’t know it yet.

* * *

It was supposed to be a quiet trip to the Everoads Mall, just the four of them, stocking up on consumer goods just like all the other normal, ordinary, definitely-not-world-famous-Huntress shoppers.

And it almost had been. They'd dressed up in their civvies - Weiss was in a purposefully plain summer dress, Ruby was wearing a goofy pair of oversized sunglasses, and Yang had managed to tuck the bulk of her magnificent mane beneath a National Huntress League cap. They'd managed to weave their way through an electronics store, a music shop, two boutiques, and a footwear retailer in the comfortable anonymity of middle-class shoppers, enjoying the simple pleasures of buying things that weren't food, toiletries, or weapons components.

And then Blake - _Blake Belladonna_ , who took a muted pride in the way she skirted the spotlight of celebrity shone on the rest of RWBY - had been recognized. By a Faunus girl who couldn't have been a day over ten, her feline ears perking up around a glittery pink hairband. She'd caught Blake's eye while the woman was waiting for her teammates to finish paying, stared at her with Remnant's widest eyes and the silliest smile on her face. Blake had slipped away to see her, crouching down to the girl's level, and listened attentively as the girl relayed her desire to be a Huntress with an excitement that made Ruby Rose look subdued.

And then the rest of Blake's team had caught up with her. And then someone shouted (yes, _shouted_ ): "Oh by the gods that's Team RWBY!"

Apparently the Mall had been hosting a Meet & Greet with some local Huntsmen an hour before RWBY had arrived, so the place was already packed to the gills with fanboys and girls looking to get an autograph, a selfie, to touch a gun or a sword or those magnificent chainsaw-nunchaku. In no time at all Remnant's most famous Huntresses had found themselves mobbed by autograph books, blinded by the lights of a dozen cameras.

Weiss and Yang took the brunt of the blast - Weiss had dealt with demanding audiences practically since infancy, and out of the four of them Yang enjoyed her celebrity the most, happily signing whatever piece of paper, clothing, or skin was presented to her. She had long ago programmed her arm with an autopen function, which produced a flourishing rendition of her signature each and every time.

“ _Hey, no needs to push, don’t cut in, I’m not going anywhere-_ ”

Blake tapped Weiss on the shoulder, tearing her eyes away from a fan holding what appeared to be an unusually elongated pillowcase. "Ruby's fading, she said to meet you at the usual place." Blake paused a beat. "And I'd be careful signing that, if I were you."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, as Blake's hand left her shoulder. "And what's the usual place. Where are you-"

But Blake and Ruby were already gone, rose petals heralding their retreat.

"I know where they're going," Yang said, as her arm finished signing a copy of _Amazing Huntresses_ #92. "And give me _that_ -" Yang snatched the pillowcase that was being shoved in Weiss' face, giving the Huntress a few seconds to catch her breath.

" _Hey! This isn't from the licensed set, you little-!"_

* * *

THE USUAL PLACE

"Wow," said Yang, hands resting on her hips. "I can't believe it's still here. I mean I _really_ _cannot_ believe it."

Weiss raised one recently-threaded eyebrow. "It's an arcade." Tucked in the uppermost recesses of the mall, safe from prying eyes and wayward cameras, a thousand and one bright lights glistening through plexiglass walls.

"Not just _any_ arcade," Ruby exclaimed, spinning around Weiss so fast that she formed a small vortex of rose petals. "It's _Vale Electrika_. It is _literally_ the happiest place in Remnant." She bounced on her feet. "And it also has food."

"Dad used to take us here a lot," Yang explained, watching with bemusement as Ruby grabbed Blake's hand in hers and veritably dragged her towards the entrance. "It was, like, the way we ended every shopping trip. We'd get pizza and root beer and play a few games before heading back to Patch."

Weiss saw the smile on her girlfriend's face, felt the warmth of distant memories radiating from her. "That sounds nice."

Weiss' words brought Yang back to the present, and she blinked once, as if remembering where (and _when_ ) she was. "It was. Our little family tradition." She and Weiss continued their approach, and Yang let out a low whistle. "It _really_ has not changed one bit. I don’t even think the floor’s been mopped."

The way Weiss’ shoe was sticking to the floor gave evidence to that theory.

" _Yaaaaaang_ they still have _Duels of Destiny II_ in the back can we please play _pleeeeease?_ "

"Um, Weiss, do we have time before-"

Weiss waived Yang off with a practiced sweep of her hand. "Yes, we have time. Our reservation isn't until eight." And besides, no maître d' in all of Sanus would cancel a table for four booked under the name "RWBY".

"You're the best!" Yang said, fending off her sister, who was currently bouncing around Yang's personal space like an overexcited puppy. And then Yang patted her pockets, noting the distinct absence of anything audibly _clinking_. "So, um, Weiss, _baby_..."

Weiss rolled her eyes, and extracted a crisp lien note from her wallet, handing it to Yang. "Blake and I will order food."

Yang planted a noisy kiss on Weiss' forehead. "You're the best sugar mama ever."

"I wish you wouldn't call me that," Weiss sighed, in a tone of voice betraying that they'd had this conversation _many_ times before.

Ruby shot puppy eyes at Blake, which earned her a derisive snort. "Nice try, Ruby. You want an allowance, you go back to dating the princess here."

" _Meanie_." Ruby stuck her tongue out, but Yang had already finished converting Weiss' paper bill into its equivalent in coin, and was shouting for her from _DoD2_ 's cabinet. Ruby pecked Blake on the lips, and then flew to the other side of the arcade.

Weiss watched with bemusement as Yang and Ruby began jockeying over the P1 and P2 joysticks, before returning her attention to Blake. "Shall we find out what this establishment's house red is?" she asked, with mock pretentiousness.

Blake grinned. "That sounds lovely, Miss Schnee."

* * *

The two women ended up at a table for four, a spread of fries, chicken tenders, and root beers before them, watching their significant others shout and yell and swear more profusely than at any time in the field.

"Yang mentioned you got the last of the estate sorted?" Blake said, nibbling delicately at her food as she spoke.

"Hm? Oh, yes," Weiss agreed, tearing her eyes away from the inter-sibling body-checking she was observing. "Most of it ended going back to Atlas' coffers, of course. But my father had accounts squirreled away in every corner of Remnant, buried under twenty layers of shell companies. He even had a numbered account at the First Bank of Menagerie."

"Banking law was never one of Menagerie's priorities, unfortunately," Blake said. "We've had the same problem trying to get control of all the old White Fang assets." And then she shrugged. "Still, forensic accounting is a nice change of pace from... well, _everything_."

Weiss bobbed her head softly in agreement. "Absolutely. I'm stealing one of your fries, by the way."

"Does Schnee treachery truly know no bounds?" Blake lamented, as Weiss plucked one gravy-and-cheese-curd-covered chip from the plate.

"Send me an invoice," Weiss shot back, covering her mouth with her hand as she chewed. She washed it down with a sip of what she had mentally designated as ‘Yang's’ root beer. "I wonder if Mist... if Taiyang ever sat right here, doing what we're doing."

(Trying to refer to him as 'Tai' instead of 'Mr. Xiao Long' was still a work-in-progress, jokes about pending father-in-law status notwithstanding.)

Blake smiled, watching as Weiss absentmindedly plucked another piece of poutine. "Seems likely. Clear line of sight to their favorite game, and you can still see all the entrances and exits to the arcade." Blake's eyes swiveled back to her beloved. "It's like they haven't changed, either,” she mused, watching the two sisters playfully jostle around the faded cabinet.

"It _is_ nice seeing this side of them," Weiss agreed.

_“Use that broken guard break again AND I'LL TEAR YOUR OTHER ARM OFF!”_

Weiss snorted at Ruby's outburst, which was followed by such a flurry of button-mashing that she could practically feel it reverberate through the floor.

"How's she doing?"

"Who? Ruby?" Blake asked.

" _No_ , Cardin Winchester," Weiss shot back, dryly.

Blake sighed. "Not bad. _Good_ , even. She's sleeping a lot better. I think the nightmares have stopped, mostly."

"That's good," Weiss replied, softly. "Gods know if anyone deserves to take it easy for the rest of her days, it's Ruby. Thanks for... for taking care of her."

_“Reverse Wolf Kick Chain Attack!”_

"Weiss, I assure you, it is my absolute pleasure. Now give me those." Blake snatched her plate of poutine from Weiss' side of the table, where it had mysteriously gravitated to. 

Weiss had the sense to look embarrassed.

“And Yang?” asked Blake, once she had several fries in her mouth.

_“Stop spamming that stupid hellsweep-”_

“Pretty sure she’s invincible, at this point,” Weiss said, with a half-smile.

_“Let’s see you chicken block_ this _you little-”_

Blake let out a small chuckle as she watched the sisters’ in-game fight transition into an out-game one. “Is this what having siblings is like?”

Weiss let out a long, melodramatic sigh. “Hell if I know, Blake. Hell if I know.”

She reached out to the plate of poutine, her eyes still on the tussle, only to feel the soft touch of Blake’s hand brushing against her own. Neither of them moved for several seconds, and then Blake began playing her thumb across Weiss’ digits.

Weiss turned her head, leisurely, meeting Blake’s gaze with her most withering of looks. “You’re a taken woman, Blake.”

Blake grinned. “Oh, if it was you… I don’t think Ruby would mind. And besides,” she leaned in, conspiratorially, “I have to admit that I’m curious.”

There was a loud crash from the direction of _Duel of Destiny II_ , though neither woman paid it much mind.

Weiss rolled her eyes. “There’s an old adage about curiosity and cats, Blake, how does it go again?”

“I-”

“Oooooh… I hope I’m not interrupting you two lovebirds.”

Blake and Weiss turned as one to face Yang, who was standing before them, doubled-over, breathing heavily, and with the smuggest of smug grin on her face. “Getting some _ideas_ for my birthday?”

“In your _very depraved_ fantasies, dear,” Weiss chided, as Yang snatched her root beer off the table and sipped noisily.

Blake idly noted, however, that Weiss still had not withdrawn her hand.

Ruby appeared a few seconds later, the world’s cutest sulk on her face, slipping into the seat next to Blake. Blake’s hand withdrew, with the coyest of glances Weiss’ way, so that she could stroke Ruby’s sweat-matted hair.

“We’re leaving and never coming back because Yang is _cheater_ and also the P2 Low Block button is sticking.”

Blake kissed Ruby’s head. “Poor thing,” she murmured, watching as the agitation faded from Ruby with every comb through her hair.

Weiss glanced at her Scroll. “Alright, we really should start heading out now.”

There were murmurs of agreement, and they quickly collected their things, half-assed disguises re-applied as they slipped unassailed towards the exit.

Blake had paired off with Ruby, listening patiently as her girlfriend explained in mind-numbing detail why Ierōdoragon’s combo chaining was broken. Which left Yang to catch up with Weiss, slipping her synthetic hand into Weiss’ own.

“Thanks for indulging Ruby,” Yang said, squeezing Weiss’ hand as she spoke. “She had a lot of fun, despite her whining.”

“I know,” Weiss agreed, sliding up closer to Yang, so they could walk arm-in-arm. “And you looked like you were having fun yourself.”

Yang smiled, a little sheepishly, as Weiss nuzzled against the sleeve of her jacket.

They exited the mall, and began walking around it, dodging gaggles of teenagers as they went. And then they rounded a corner, and came face-to-face with a sunset, a brilliant orange-red light coloring the puffy cumulus clouds overhead.

Weiss stopped in her tracks, which forced Yang to stop, which caused Blake and Ruby to collide into the back of her.

“-and it’s such B.S. that her frame data is… oh… wow…” Ruby murmured, silver eyes taking in the light of the setting sun.

Weiss nodded. “It’s beautiful.”

Yang slipped sideways a little, allowing her to envelop Weiss in a hug from behind. Ruby leaned in to Blake in turn, so that their cheeks could rub against each other.

And then, after a minute or two, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the sky began shifting back to its usual evening hue. And then the noises of the parking lot filled Weiss’ ears, and she was back on Remnant again.

“I’m so glad I got to see that with you all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact- I know just about nothing about fighting games, so every bit of jargon came from either [Wiktionary’s glossary of fighting games](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_fighting_games) or [Silmerion’s Twitter feed](https://twitter.com/Silmerion). The latter probably subconsciously inspired me; this whole fic was premised around the question of ‘what would Ruby and Yang be like playing a fighting game in an arcade?’ and then the rest of the story was built up around that.
> 
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> 
> If you ask about the poutine: “[It's cheese curds and gravy on top of fries. What's not to like?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfglH-MLyRE)”
> 
>   
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> 
> Feedback of any sort is welcomed, comments are appreciated whenever you find this fic. Your reviews and readership are appreciated.
> 
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